The Protector's Path
by LedyRheill
Summary: Solistaire and Amasais survived the annihilation of their home settlement. Now they swore to become a Hunter and Huntress to protect humanity. As they learn more about their past, more secrets are uncovered and more plots in the dark threaten their lives and all that they hold dear. Would they survive this world of lies? Or would they get trapped in the darkness? RWBY AU OC.


Julianne sat on a bench in a park, the throng of faunus and civilians passing in front of her in a parade. 12 statues dot around the park, each with its own banner. Trees lined the park, as tall as the CCT tower in Vale, painted with different bright green, red, yellow and other colors. The colors were mirrored by the vivid and radiant clothing each faunus wore. She, however, wore white for this occasion.

The revelry was made complete by a cacophony of noise formed from a mishmash of music from different sources. Faunus especially were dancing to these drum beats that she did not recognize. _I cannot understand these beats. Must be special to these animals. Of course a dog will have a dog's musical taste, whatever that is._

Everybody was smiling, laughing, the faunus more than humans, and their children darting to and fro. She watched with beady eyes, smiling a different kind of smile. _Finally, revenge._

She did not partake in the festivities; no. She was smiling for a different reason.

 _Faunus blood will be spilt today. Some humans, but an acceptable sacrifice._

Menre was a frontier settlement, one that had more faunus than humans in Vacuo. It was pioneered five years ago by one of the few faunus who had the means. Over the last few years, faunus from twelve different species flocked to the settlement, and they had to expand the land to make room for everyone. A few humans sought to escape the troubles that naturally comes from human settlements and cities, and settled at the only faunus settlement outside Menagerie.

She observed the creatures around her. She smiled at some saw her, nodding at others. _No need to be impolite towards a walking corpse after all._ She looked at her watch. _Ten minutes. The informant should be here._

Standing up, she made her way to the center of the park. Statues of different animals placed around the park placed in even intervals. All facing inwardly and for some reason, seem to be looking at her, trying to divine her purpose. She felt a pang of fear but squashed it. _What irrationality._ She didn't need that right now. Her eyes scanned the statues. _12 statues for 12 different kinds of faunus. Heh. They'll be rubble soon._

Her eyes barely managed to look over the heads of the moving mass of bodies. Normally, the heat alone would've discouraged her to come, not to mention the _faunus,_ but a mission is a mission. _Also, dead faunus._ Hiding a smile, she wiped a forming sweat on her brow. She looked towards the front of the parade where her contact said he'd be.

A float leading the parade passed by in front of a weapons shop opposite her. Suddenly, a man in black coat with golden trimmings around the edges, wearing a top hat appeared. The man's features were unidentifiable, only his height and complexion barely seen.

But she knew this man. _Her contact._

He nodded to her, removed his top hat showing surprisingly no hair on his bald scalp. Another float passed between them, then he vanished.

Five minutes left.

She placed her hands inside the pockets of her jeans. Her left hand clicked a device, priming the timer for the bombs, and the right touched an object the size of a golf ball. She started pushing her aura towards the ball. It absorbed her aura readily, like a sponge to water, and she felt the minimal drain. Seconds passed, then a minute, two then three.

 _Three minutes to fill, one minute to prime, then one minute to kill._ She recited on her mind.

A silent minute passed by. Her heart thundering in her ears in anticipation.

A loud explosion tore through the revelry, bodies flying and, a beat later, screaming. _That would be the dog statue_. Another statue exploded seconds later _the boar_ , and another. The bombs were timed to explode within five seconds of each other. She stood still in the middle, the bombs' blast radius was around 5 meters, well away from her. People ran around screaming in fear. Faunus and human alike huddled in corners while bombs were exploding.

 _Tenth bomb._

 _Eleventh bomb._

 _Twelfth._

As the final bomb exploded, she grabbed the ball, now searing hot and primed, and threw it above the sky. Impossibly, the ball slowed and flew upwards with a constant speed, and stopped at the treetops. At this point, the ball glowed, becoming brighter than the sun. It slowly expanded until it became the size of a small house, still glowing brighter.

As soon as the ball left her hand, Julianne started running. People around her, those not affected by the explosions, at least,looked at the ball glowing in the sky. She knew its effects to everyone who looked at it. They would be captivated, and would desire to be near the ball. Their emotions would be squashed, and replaced by hatred and fear in a matter of minutes.

She could observe it in faces of the people looking at the ball. They had tried to flee, but fear due to unexpectedness and number of explosions prevented them. Now a large ball of light goes up, they had little choice but to look at it to investigate.

 _And their minds would be ensnared._

Whoever created this weapon should be given a pat on the back, and a knife to the neck.

 _But whatever, I'm running out of here._

The fear and hatred, mostly fear, was palpable in the air. The people had feared due to the explosions, thus bringing it outside was easily done by the ball. People she encountered would be pulled towards the now pulsing ball in the sky.

She saw a human child, bawling in the streets in confusion. _So it does not affect children. No matter the Grimm will take care of them._ She felt her conscience trying to claw her way out. _Jean._ But she killed it, as she had many times before. She forced a smile onto her face, then it became genuine.

A howl passed cut through the sudden silence, and the Grimm started their advance. There would be a festival of a different sort today.

The settlement-city Menre was no more.


End file.
